Totaled Supra and new to the forum

[TabuSoro]

Hey guys. I've been a lurker here, and necessity has caused me to join. I was in a collision on 1/20/2012, and my car (in my non professional opinion) is totaled.

For legal issues, I do not want to go into what happened. The details are not really important.

I drive (drove) a 1987 Supra. It was a gift to me, and my baby. She was in pristine condition. On 1/10/2012, I was in an accident with another vehicle with minor damage to both vehicles. Estimated damage to my car was $738.65. On 1/20/2012, I was involved in a far more severe collision, with severe damage to my vehicle. The front bumper, both fenders above the front wheels, the passenger door, and the fender above the rear passenger wheel are all severely damaged. The cost to repair (from my uneducated guesses) will far surpass the KBB of my car (it is only worth approximately $3,500 on a good day).

My car was literally pristine before all of this. I am devastated-and I know I shouldn't be. But I am. This was my first car, it was unique, flawless, and special to me.

The CHP officer on scene seemed under the impression that it was my fault. I am working to disprove this claim- he seemed to be assuming that I was driving my car as if I was on the track and lost control.

I have been scouring the internet for a review of this generation Supra so that I can have "official," 0-60 times and 1/4 mile times, among other specs. As we all know, our Supras stock are not *that* fast without modification, but I want official backing to prove my claim. My car is a 1987, non turbo model.

Copied and pasted from another forum I am on. Link to the other forum is here:

http://sacramentoridersforum.com/sho...lp-consolation.

[Ranma]

Originally Posted by TabuSoro

Hey guys. I've been a lurker here, and necessity has caused me to join. I was in a collision on 1/20/2012, and my car (in my non professional opinion) is totaled.

For legal issues, I do not want to go into what happened. The details are not really important.

I drive (drove) a 1987 Supra. It was a gift to me, and my baby. She was in pristine condition. On 1/10/2012, I was in an accident with another vehicle with minor damage to both vehicles. Estimated damage to my car was $738.65. On 1/20/2012, I was involved in a far more severe collision, with severe damage to my vehicle. The front bumper, both fenders above the front wheels, the passenger door, and the fender above the rear passenger wheel are all severely damaged. The cost to repair (from my uneducated guesses) will far surpass the KBB of my car (it is only worth approximately $3,500 on a good day).

My car was literally pristine before all of this. I am devastated-and I know I shouldn't be. But I am. This was my first car, it was unique, flawless, and special to me.

The CHP officer on scene seemed under the impression that it was my fault. I am working to disprove this claim- he seemed to be assuming that I was driving my car as if I was on the track and lost control.

I have been scouring the internet for a review of this generation Supra so that I can have "official," 0-60 times and 1/4 mile times, among other specs. As we all know, our Supras stock are not *that* fast without modification, but I want official backing to prove my claim. My car is a 1987, non turbo model.

Copied and pasted from another forum I am on. Link to the other forum is here:

http://sacramentoridersforum.com/sho...lp-consolation.

I have a lot more into my car than 3500, you need to get an estimate. I have a 86.5 7MGE with a 5 speed and yes it can get me into trouble. Also The judge is not going to buy your argument. Careless or reckless driving can be done with my daily a Honda Civic.
From the description of the damage it would seem you hit something HARD with the right front of the car. Did you push the radiator into the engine? I do trust you were not hurt.
No If I were you, I would keep my mouth shut. Judges have no sense of humor whatsoever and you can get yourself in real trouble.

[TabuSoro]

The physical evidence on my vehicle (paint and plastic transfer) imply (strongly) that the collision was not my fault.

The initial impact was not to the front of the car.

I'm sorry for not going into any form of detail, I just do not want to discuss the collision in a public forum until after the dust from the potential legal issues settle.

[cre]

I believe I already have a decent picture of the incident and how the sum of the damage was incurred. I'm not going to offer any specific legal advice, but I've fought a few tickets and had them readily dismissed. It's always most dependent upon your ability to collect information from all available sources and provide enough reason for the court to question the officer's testimony. Presenting a good clean image of both one's self and the situation is critical as well as being prepared to very clearly rationalize and answer any questions asked by the court and DA should you opt to testify. The testimony of others involved in the accident (especially the opposite party, if there was one) often proves helpful so long as their testimony is well directed... Not always possible but it's a total killer for the DA when it is managed.

If you are under 30 and in risk of losing your license over this I strongly advise you to at least consult with (if not retain) an attorney; The same goes if there was any alcohol or other questionable substance involved whether you believe you were under the limit, the substance is legal (such as prescription drugs) or that your were operating with a clear state of mind. Knowing more information about the magistrate presiding over the court in which your case will be heard is invaluable. You may be able to find out their name via the court clerk's office and then research their leaning in similar cases. May I ask if there was another party involved?

I agree with Ranma, my wife's '89 Accord is a snail but it'll still do 75 in a 45.... just takes a LOT longer to get there.

I'm sorry you lost your vehicle and I sincerely hope that any and all parties involved were unharmed.

Good luck with it.

[TabuSoro]

I'm concerned with whether I am deemed at fault or not in the mind of the insurance companies. There was no drugs or alcohol. I'm only 20.

How is fault determined by the insurance companies? Do you know?

[cre]

They are not bound by the court's ruling in anyway in any locale that I'm aware of; Not entirely anyway. Generally they operate based on a collection of both test and real-world accident data including but not limited to crash tests, police reports (from previous incidents, not limited to accident reports in that vicinity... not just cases you were involved in), local driving demographics, age of all parties involved (including passengers as they may present a significant distraction), weather conditions, estimated speed of the vehicles involved at the time of the collision, the state of the vehicles including any modifications and so on. Liability is assessed by an adjuster assigned to your case. Cases involving personal injury claims often get far more complex. Some states do limit liabilities under certain circumstances and again you may wish to contact a local attorney for any specific advice.

[cre]

You will find CA specific legal statutes here:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html


Vehicle Code:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/ca...ebody=&hits=20

Street and Highway Code:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/ca...ebody=&hits=20

Insurance Code:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/ca...ebody=&hits=20

[TabuSoro]

Originally Posted by cre

You will find CA specific legal statutes here:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html


Vehicle Code:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/ca...ebody=&hits=20

Street and Highway Code:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/ca...ebody=&hits=20

Insurance Code:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/ca...ebody=&hits=20

Thanks man, I appreciate that.